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Do you argue with religious people?
#41
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
I had some religious nut ring my door two weeks ago. I asked "Can I help you?" and she started in with her churchy spiel and I promptly said, we are atheists here. She then asked if we would like to come to her church and I asked her why would atheists want to come to a church to worship a magical sky daddy? She just look dumbfounded and wanted to leave me with a pamphlet. I said no thanks and shut the door.

That was the end of that.
Disclaimer: I am only responsible for what I say, not what you choose to understand. 
(November 14, 2018 at 8:57 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: Have a good day at work.  If we ever meet in a professional setting, let me answer your question now.  Yes, I DO want fries with that.
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#42
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
In college I was in the same class as a couple of YECkles. I was stunned when one of them brought it up, and it sparked off a long and deeply frustrating chain of heated debates over a number of months, involving the arguments that dogs can evolve into cats and other such nonsense. Looking back, my main 'opponent' was obviously incredibly uninitiated in science and biology, I just didn't realise how badly at the time.
Since then, I've pretty much avoided it - until I signed up with AF, that is Tongue
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#43
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
Religion hardly ever comes up at work. People seem to know better in retail, considering how stressful the job already is. When it does come up, I simply state I am an atheist and that is that.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
~ Erin Hunter
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#44
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
Might be time to make my text still bigger. Just read this as "Do you agree with religious people?" Was surprised to see how many responses it had got and was about to say "no, not usually".
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#45
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
Mostly I try to ignore them. I'm trying to get on with my day, they're out proselytising in the street, I don't want to know. The most I've engaged someone in this context has been to take whatever leaflet they shove in my face, scrunch it up and toss it over my shoulder without looking at it as I walk past.

I was put on the spot a couple of years ago, when introduced to some friend of Shell's we don't see anymore. She mentioned I was an atheist and he launched into some personal experience story about an angel or something and asked me to explain it. I listened politely and then told him I wasn't going to go into that; I wasn't there to witness it, there was zero information to work with, and I hadn't come there for that purpose. I finished by wishing him good luck with it. We both knew where we stood, no face was lost on either side and it was never mentioned again.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist.  This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair.  Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second.  That means there's a situation vacant.'
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#46
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
Isn't it amazing how they throw some ridiculous scenario at you and demand that you explain it, all so they can shove their views in your face when you can't explain it?
Disclaimer: I am only responsible for what I say, not what you choose to understand. 
(November 14, 2018 at 8:57 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: Have a good day at work.  If we ever meet in a professional setting, let me answer your question now.  Yes, I DO want fries with that.
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#47
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
Exian: That is messed up! What's the problem with playing the guitar? I wonder if having "pointless fun" of any kind is a sin. Well, no fun is pointless if it doesn't hurt anyone because it makes you feel better. How very sad people would deprive themselves of this.

Playing the guitar upsets God? I mean c'mooooon.
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#48
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
(April 21, 2015 at 9:39 am)Judi Lynn Wrote: Isn't it amazing how they throw some ridiculous scenario at you and demand that you explain it, all so they can shove their views in your face when you can't explain it?

Yep. "You can't explain it - therefore God!"

It's a game best played by not playing it at all. It's the Buckaroo of theist encounters.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist.  This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair.  Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second.  That means there's a situation vacant.'
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#49
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
It's not worth it unless:

1- they really do want to learn something

2- there's a crowd who can benefit from what you say

3- you want the sparring practice
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
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#50
RE: Do you argue with religious people?
As someone who at one time oscillated between vague religiosity and more robust involvement in religious activities (even though I think I always had a certain level of skepticism) it's hard to pin point where or how I became an atheist. But the one factor that stands out is, there was a period in my life when I had the opportunity to gain distance from religiosity, and that distance reduced my affinity for religion and enhanced my willingness to question its underlying precepts. I'm not sure how something like that can be accomplished via debate. It's easier with younger people, especially in less religious areas, but with people beyond traditional college age, I feel like maybe gentle appeals to rational thinking can be helpful to plant the seed, but the more confrontational you are, the more deeply entrenched your adversary becomes. So debating and arguing can actually be counterproductive. This doesn't mean that the confrontational approach is useless in all circumstances. I think having public figures like Richard Dawkins speaking out on this issue is very helpful, but that's very different from debate (which is more personal).

Okay .... that's my two cents Smile
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